CITY ROOM; Cuomo Expects Tax Abatement For Condos Will Be Saved

By DANNY HAKIM

Published: June 26, 2012

ALBANY -- Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Friday that he believed a property tax abatement for hundreds of thousands of condominium and co-op owners in New York City would be preserved, despite his rejection of a renewal of the abatement as part of a package of housing legislation on the final day of the legislative session last week.

The abatement is scheduled to expire on June 30, which would lead to $430 million in additional taxes for more than 360,000 taxpayers in the city, or $1,194 on average, according to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's office.

But legislation to renew the tax break became public only on the final day of the session last Thursday, and the governor refused to waive the normal three-day waiting period between a bill's introduction and when it can be voted on-a step he has said he would prefer to use only for emergencies.

The tax abatement was also only one component of the complex and controversial package of housing measures that was brought out Thursday, leaving little time for scrutiny from the public or lawmakers.

The governor said he was optimistic that the city could work out the abatement renewal administratively.

''I talked to the mayor last night,'' the governor said Friday. ''I said 'Can't you figure out a way not to raise the taxes on these people or tell them it was a mistake or send them a letter or something?' And he said he would try to figure it out, and if they couldn't figure it out, they would let me know.''

The governor said he was not inclined to call a special session to deal with the issue, but he did not rule it out.

''I don't know why you have to collect a tax that we don't intend to impose,'' he added. ''So I asked the mayor to try and to figure it out administratively and he said he would try. If he were to call me back and say there is no way, then I would consider a session, but that does not sound logical to me.''

The legislature is expected to return to Albany for a special session after the election, if not sooner, and could also take up a permanent fix to the abatement issue then.

This is a more complete version of the story than the one that appeared in print.